Explosive



in a military explosive.

UNITED STATE S PATENT, QFFICE.

WALTER o. SNELLING, or ALLENTOWN, rENNsYLvANIanssiGNon "r0 'rnozrlm H POWDER COMPANY, or NEW YORK, n. 72., A coRronA'rIonfonnEw.YonK.

1 I I EXPLOSIVE.

1,386,440. No Drawing. Application filed February T 0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALTER O. SNELLING, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Allentown, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in"-,Explosives, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates toexplosives, and particularly to solid organic nitrate explosives capable of use for military purposes, and its object is the production of an improved explosive which shall be'highly insensitive to shocks and yet be capable of detonation by means of a suitably powerful initial priming or booster charge, and shall possess other characteristics advantageous My improved explosive in its preferred form comprises nitrostarch, an inorganic nitrate, a desensitizing agent, and such additional ingredients as are ordinarily employed in making up explosive mixtures of this general type. While I prefer to employ nitro starch as the organic nitrate, other solid organic nitrates may be employed, such as nitro cellulose, nitrated ivory nut, or nitrated sugar. 7

My preferred inorganic nitrate is ammonium nitrate, but other nitrates may be successfully employed, such for example as the nitrates of sodium, potassium or barium, or mixtures of such nitrates, and other inorganic chemical compounds of high available oxygen content may be employed such as alkali metal chlorates, perchlorates and the like.

As a desensitizing agent I use oil, preferably a heavy lubricating oil, although lighter mineral oil may be used, as well as animal and vegetable oily materials such, for example, as lard oil and cotton-seed oil,

or mixtures of oils, natural or artificial,

Such a natural mixture, of oils as is represented by gas-tar may be used, if strongly acid components are first removed or neutralized. 7

While small proportions of oil have heretofore been used in nitro-starch mixtures for such purposes as waterproofing or to give consistency, ithas not, so far as I am aware, been proposed to use oil, or oily material, in large proportions relative to the nitro-starch to serve as a sole desensitizing agent. I have discovered that by the use of oil in Specification of Letters Patent. Patented. A 0, 2 1921,

11, 1920, Serial No. 357,900. Serial No. 439,055.

am'ounts'ranging above"10% of the weight ofthe nitro-starch in the nitr'o-starch-organic-nitrate mixture, an explosive can be obtained which whilelbeing remarkably in sensitive can'yet be detonated {by means of a suitable booster charge, with violent explo- My invention may be utilized in a large range of mixtures varying, in nitro starch contentthe following table indicating the proportions of'oil used In mixtures which contain 20% of nitro starch, I may use not less than 2% ofoil and not morethan 5% of oil, my. inorganic nitrates, anti-acid ingredients and other added materials varying within the range of 75% to 78%. a

In mixtures which contain 30% of nitro-" starch, I may use not less than 3% of oil,

Renewed January 21, 19 21;

, In the mixtures which contain 50% of nitro-starch, I may use not less than 5% of oil, and not more than 12%% of oil, my inorganic nitrates, anti-acid ingredients and other added materials varying within the range of37 to 457%.

In mixtures which contain 60% of nitrostarch, I may use not less than 6% of oil,

and not more than 15% of oil, my inorganic nitrates, anti-acid ingredients and other added materials varying within the range of 25% to 34%.

In mixtures which contain 70% of nitrostarch, I may use not less than 7% of oil, and not more than 17%% of oil, my inorganic nitrates, anti-acid ingredients and other added materials varying within the range of 12%% to 23%. a

In general,-the amount of oil which I use is not less than 10% nor more than 25% of the amount of nitrostarch which I use, the diiference between the combined weights of the nitro-starch and the oil being, an inorganic nitrate or. a mixture of inorganic nitrates, altogether with minor amounts of antiacid and stabilizing ingredients. Where another solid organic nitrated body is substituted for nitro-starch the range of percentagesyof oil and nitrated body are the-- an inorganic nitrate, and 011 in an amount 01.

same as in the Intro-starch. v By employing the'ingredients in the pro-' portions indicated, explosives of great value; for military purposes may be obtained. Be:

q inorganic ni trate, and a heavy lubri- .cating oil in an amount of not less than 10% cause of the extreme insensitiveness; to shocks,they are insensitive to even a- No. 8 detonating cap-they can be safely used for aerialdrop bombs,vas Well asfor sea mines, torpedoes, high explosive shell and similar military uses. While inert to evensuch shocks and blows as would befrepresented by the impact of a shell Witharmor plate or a cement all, they may still be detonated,

With very violent explosion, by means of a suitable booster charge.

I claim I 1. An explosive containing nitro-starch desensitized by the presence of oil in an amount of not less than 10% of the nitrostarch.

2. An explosive comprisingnitro-starch and an inorganic oxidizing agent, and a de sensltlzmg agent consisting of 011 1n an amount of not less than 10% of n1trostarch.

3. An explosive comprising nitrostarch,

an inorganic nitrate, and a desensitizing agent consistlng of (211M111 an amount of not l f l f n ors arc r 4; An explosive comprising nitro-starch,

not less than 10% nor more than 25% of the nitro-star'ch.

5. An explosive comprising nitro starch;

oilfrom 2% to: l7%%, said oil constituting the pitro-starch'. a s i 7 An explosive containing 50% of nitrostarch; 7 9 of heavy mineral oil; and 421}% of an inorganic oxidizing agent. i

. 8. An explosive containing 50% ofnitrostarch; 7%% ofheavy mineral oil; and 4E2 of an alkali metal perchlorate.

. 9.'An explosive comprising.nitro-starch, an inorganic nitrate,and a desensitizing oil insufficient. amount :to prevent detonation with a No. 8 detonating cap while permitting the; detonation bymeans of a suitable booster charge.

not less than 10% normore than 25% or WALTER QsNELLING. '0 

